[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 205 (Wednesday, December 18, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7135-S7136]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                       FIRST STEP Act Anniversary

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I am here today to commemorate and 
celebrate the 1-year anniversary of a groundbreaking achievement. On 
December 18, 2018, the Senate passed the FIRST STEP Act. Three days 
later, President Trump signed this far-reaching legislation into law. 
The FIRST STEP Act is the most significant criminal justice reform law 
in a generation.
  I am proud of the work we accomplished 1 year ago on the Senate floor 
by voting it out of this Chamber with a rollcall vote of 87 to 12. This 
historic vote means a lot to this Senator, who then was chairman of the 
Judiciary Committee. In fact, in one of the conference rooms in my 
office in Washington, I have the official tally sheet from this bill's 
vote framed and hung on a wall. Now Iowans, advocates, and those who 
visit my office can see this piece of history.
  Our criminal justice system is based on the rule of law. That means 
when you commit a crime, you should be punished. But the punishment 
should fit the crime. If the penalty is too harsh, it doesn't do any 
more to deter criminal activity, and it is a bad value for our 
taxpayers when you keep people in prison if it doesn't do any good to 
have them there.
  Overly harsh penalties can also make it harder for prisoners who are 
trying to change their lives to turn over a new leaf. It is worth 
noting that almost all criminals are eventually released from prison.
  Our criminal justice system must do much more than punish and deter. 
It should rehabilitate and prepare prisoners to reenter society. That 
is exactly what the FIRST STEP Act does. It gives nonviolent prisoners 
an incentive to participate in programs in prison, such as job 
training, drug treatment programs, and counseling, which have been 
shown to reduce recidivism.
  The FIRST STEP Act also makes sentencing more fair. It leaves tough 
penalties in place for the worst criminals, but it reduces mandatory 
minimum sentences, giving judges the ability to tailor punishment to 
fit the crime.
  Today marks a very happy occasion and a time of reflection. However, 
we must remain focused on the future and implementation of that law. 
With vigilant and consistent oversight into the implementation of the 
FIRST STEP Act, we can ensure these goals of reducing recidivism and 
improving our criminal justice system are met.
  I have had the opportunity to meet with dozens of former prisoners 
who have been released because of the reforms in the FIRST STEP Act, 
and I also had a chance to meet with some of the families. These former 
prisoners are inspiring. They are finding jobs. They are taking care of 
their families. They are paying their taxes and contributing to their 
communities. They have told me that the FIRST STEP Act gave them 
hope. It reminded them that the rest of the country had not forgotten 
about them but wanted them to succeed.

  The FIRST STEP Act gives former prisoners a better chance at changing 
their lives. Every day, there are more success stories. No doubt, there 
will be some prisoners who don't learn a lesson and return to a life of 
crime, but the reforms we put into place have been shown at the State 
level to reduce crime by reducing recidivism. It is the right thing to 
do for people in the criminal justice system, but it is a good value 
for the taxpayers, as well, because it costs tens of thousands of 
dollars to keep people in prisons.
  As we commemorate the FIRST STEP Act, it is important to acknowledge 
that this was a bipartisan effort. A lot of people didn't think it was 
even possible, but we did it by working together and finding a way to 
work out a reasonable compromise.
  First and foremost, I want to acknowledge Senator Durbin. I guess you 
would call the two of us partners in crime. There is no better advocate 
for criminal justice reform than Senator Durbin, and this bill would 
never have passed without his hard work and willingness to forge this 
bipartisan compromise.
  I point especially to Senator Lee because he knows the criminal 
justice code inside out, and when we needed people to tell us what we 
could or could not do, what was reasonable, he had an answer. So I want 
to thank Senator Lee.
  I also thank Senators Cornyn, Scott, Whitehouse, Booker, and Leahy, 
among others.
  I also want to recognize President Trump and give a sincere thank-you 
to him and his team, particularly Jared Kushner, for the support and 
leadership in this space.
  Today, December 18, will always be an important day for me as a 
legislator. I look forward to making sure that this law is implemented 
successfully and to finding additional ways to improve our criminal 
justice system.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. YOUNG. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Romney). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  Mr. YOUNG. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
  There appears to be a sufficient second.
  Under the previous order, all postcloture time is expired.
  The question is, Will the Senate advise and consent to the McFarland 
nomination?
  The yeas and nays were previously ordered.
  The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk called the roll.
  Mr. THUNE. The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator 
from Georgia (Mr. Isakson).
  Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Booker), 
the Senator from California (Ms. Harris), the Senator from Minnesota 
(Ms. Klobuchar), the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Sanders), and the 
Senator from Massachusetts (Ms. Warren) are necessarily absent.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there any other Senators in the Chamber 
desiring to vote?
  The result was announced--yeas 56, nays 38, as follows:

                      [Rollcall Vote No. 402 Ex.]

                                YEAS--56

     Alexander
     Barrasso
     Blackburn
     Blunt
     Boozman
     Braun
     Brown
     Burr
     Capito
     Cassidy
     Collins
     Cornyn
     Cotton
     Cramer
     Crapo
     Cruz
     Daines
     Enzi
     Ernst
     Fischer
     Gardner
     Graham
     Grassley
     Hawley
     Hoeven
     Hyde-Smith
     Inhofe
     Johnson
     Jones
     Kennedy
     Lankford
     Lee
     Manchin
     McConnell
     McSally
     Moran
     Murkowski
     Paul
     Perdue
     Portman
     Risch
     Roberts
     Romney
     Rounds
     Rubio
     Sasse
     Scott (FL)
     Scott (SC)
     Shelby
     Sinema
     Sullivan
     Thune
     Tillis
     Toomey
     Wicker
     Young

                                NAYS--38

     Baldwin
     Bennet
     Blumenthal
     Cantwell
     Cardin
     Carper
     Casey
     Coons
     Cortez Masto
     Duckworth
     Durbin
     Feinstein
     Gillibrand
     Hassan
     Heinrich
     Hirono
     Kaine
     King
     Leahy
     Markey
     Menendez
     Merkley
     Murphy
     Murray
     Peters
     Reed
     Rosen
     Schatz
     Schumer
     Shaheen
     Smith
     Stabenow
     Tester
     Udall
     Van Hollen
     Warner
     Whitehouse
     Wyden

                             NOT VOTING--6

     Booker
     Harris
     Isakson
     Klobuchar
     Sanders
     Warren
  The nomination was confirmed.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Missouri.
  Mr. BLUNT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that with respect 
to the McFarland nomination, the motion to reconsider be considered 
made

[[Page S7136]]

and laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of 
the Senate's action.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

                          ____________________